By Fr. Vinnie Busch, SSC
Fifty years ago, during my first parish assignment in Mindanao, I was struck by how frequent the people use statues in their spiritual lives. Almost every home had an altar with statues of their patron saints. During Holy Week and fiestas, parishioners would join long procession, often under the scorching midday sun, as they followed these beloved figures. People even use statues in dance rituals, especially on the feast of the Holy Child. But the most dramatic use of statues took place every Easter at dawn during the ritual known as the Salubong – a powerful re-enactment of “the Meeting”.
The Salubong ritual involves two separate processions – one carrying the statue of Jesus, the other carrying the statue of His Blessed Mother, often veiled in black. These two processions meet in front of the parish church or barrio chapel, where the veil covering Mary’s face is lifted, symbolizing the joyful reunion of Jesus with His Mother. Though this “Meeting” is not mentioned in the Bible, Filipino Catholics perform the Salubong ritual to celebrate their belief that the mother of Jesus was the first to see her Son on Easter morning.
The Salubong ritual highlights the significance of Mary’s motherhood in the faith life of Filipino Catholics, who affectionately refer to her as “Mama Mary.” I came to understand this devotion more deeply years ago while I was talking with some women doing laundry at their barrio spring. I mentioned that I was preparing a homily for the feast of the Assumption and I was searching for a scripture passage about Mary’s going to heaven after her death. My problem, I told them, was, like the Salubong, the Bible does not mention the Assumption of Mary.
One of the grandmothers in the group then said, “The Assumption is in the Bible, Father.” She got her Bible, flipped through the pages, found the passage, and declared “See Father, here is what Jesus said to his Mother when she arrived in Heaven”…
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your home, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25: 34-36)
Like most Catholics, I recognized this reading as part of a parable about the Last Judgement. It’s often read during funeral services. In the parable, Jesus identifies with the least among us and promises to welcome all into his Kingdom who gave food, water, shelter, clothing, health care, and friendship, to those in need. Jesus says, “Truly, I tell you, just as you did to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25: 40)
The grandmother I met at that barrio spring believed, deep in her heart, that Jesus first said these words to His own mother- Mary – who had cared for Him throughout his life. She nursed, fed, clothed, and sheltered Him as a newborn in a stable in Bethlehem. She protected and held Him close when she and Joseph fled to save Him from Herod’s wrath. And in His final hours, she remained by His side – comforting Him when He was imprisoned, tortured and crucified.
On Easter morning Filipino Catholics celebrate the Salubong ritual to honor their belief that Mary was the first to meet her Risen Son. And just as Mary was the first to see Him, many Catholics believe that Jesus was the first to welcome her into His kingdom when she died. Like the grandmother at the spring, they see “Mama Mary” not only as the mother of Jesus, but as a model for all of us – a woman who showed us how to live a life of compassion, faith, and service. They believed that we, too, will be welcomed into the Kingdom of heaven if we live like she did – caring for the least among us, same way his mother cared for her Son when He was hungry, homeless, sick, suffering, abandoned and dying on the cross.
Post Script…
After writing this article, I returned to the barrio spring where I had that memorable conversation with the grandmother to take some photos. With me came three women with their laundry.
One was Laga Durangparang (wearing the blue hat in this photo), who had spent over a decade caring for a fellow Columban, Fr Pat Farrell, during his long battle with cancer. The second was Mayet Rivera (in the red dress), who worked tirelessly for years to save enough money to pay for her blind father’s cataract surgery. The third was Juvy Lopecillo (wearing jeans), who recently opened her small home to a sick friend who was recovering from a serious ailment.
I imagine we’ve all encountered such compassionate and selfless people in our lives. “For it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs”. (Matthew 19:14).
